Purpose: This bill would allow state-paid public defenders, including the Defender General, to provide legal help to immigrants on immigration issues in the federal court system. .Analysis: Those voting YES believe that immigrants and farm workers residing in Vermont should have access to taxpayer funded representation in federal court “in or with respect to a matter arising out of or relating to immigration status.” .
Those voting NO believe that giving Vermont’s Defender General more responsibilities without increased funding would put a strain on that government office. There is already a backlog of cases, and the Defender General would have to reallocate resources away from other vital government functions in order to provide this service. The federal court system already offers court-appointed legal counsel, and there is no reason for the state to duplicate this service..Senate Journal, Wednesday, February 14, 2018. “Thereupon, the bill was read the second time by title only pursuant to Rule 43, the recommendation of amendment was agreed to, on a roll call, Yeas 28, Nays 2.” (Read the Journal, p. 327-332) .

About Us

The Ethan Allen Institute is Vermont’s free-market public policy research and education organization. Founded in 1993, we are one of fifty-plus similar but independent state-level, public policy organizations around the country which exchange ideas and information through the State Policy Network.Read more...

Latest News

November 16, 2018 By David Flemming George Plumb claimed in a November 9 VTDigger commentary that men should feel obligated to get vasectomies to prevent authoritarians from using booming populations...